Protestors from Ambujwadi Slum gathered in a massive rally to demand the existing right to access to water again

 

HUME PAANI DE!! 

 

December 02nd, 2015 | Ambujwadi, Mumbai | Ghar Banao Ghar Bachao Andolan

People of Ambujwadi, a slum in Malad, marched to P North BMC ward office today with the strong conviction to get the water rights for their community as even after more than two decades, the BMC has not laid down the water lines whereas at the same time has provided services to the corporate and rich of the city on time. Since more than two decades, the people have been denied the basic amenities of life. The community is still living there without roads, water, enough toilets, and school. More than 50,000 people here are facing all these challenges everyday and finally decided to take recourse to direct action today and marched to the ward office.

 

Till late evening, nobody from the ward office came to hear their demands. The protesters at down outside the office and refused to move away if their demands left unheard. Later in the evening only, Sangita Hasnale, Ward Officer came and met the protestors. She was unaware of the problems which the community is facing since long time and promised them that she will visit the slum and will enquire about the situation, meeting with community representatives of their movement.

 

Since more than two decades, the slum has not received any basic amenities of life till today except for the electricity. It was also only through a united struggle by the Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan that this slum got electric substation last year from TATA Power and now each house has a electricity connection. But these slum dwellers in Ambujwadi still live in a community which don’t have roads, water, enough toilets, and school.

The denial of basic amenities like water, due to non implementation must be treated as the blatant violation of fundamental rights under article 21 of the Indian Constitution and, section 5 of the Maharashtra Slum Act, 1971, which have given right to slums, the right to get water and also ignorance to the order of Bombay High Court, which ensured water right to each slum in existence.

 

Against all these atrocities, the slum dwellers of Ambujwadi have protested and gathered in a massive rally from the slum to P (North) Ward in Liberty Garden, Malad, Mumbai.

 

Contact: 9958660556 (Bilal) | Jamil Akhtar 07738804523 (Community leader) | Jainuddin +91 9594609152 (Community leader)

 

Medha Patkar – Narmada Bachao Andolan and the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM); Prafulla Samantara – Lok Shakti Abhiyan & Lingraj Azad– Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti, NAPM, Odisha; Dr. Sunilam, Aradhna Bhargava – Kisan Sangharsh Samiti & Meera – Narmada Bachao Andolan, NAPM, MP; Suniti SR, Suhas Kolhekar, Prasad Bagwe – NAPM, Maharashtra; Gabriele Dietrich, Geetha Ramakrishnan – Unorganised Sector Workers Federation, NAPM, TN; C R Neelkandan – NAPM Kerala; P Chennaiah & Ramakrishnan Raju – NAPM Andhra PradeshArundhati Dhuru, Richa Singh – NAPM, UP; Sister Celia – Domestic Workers Union & Rukmini V P, Garment Labour Union, NAPM, Karnataka; Vimal Bhai – Matu Jan sangathan & Jabar Singh, NAPM, Uttarakhand; Anand Mazgaonkar, Krishnakant – Paryavaran Suraksh Samiti, NAPM Gujarat; Kamayani Swami, Ashish Ranjan – Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan & Mahendra Yadav – Kosi Navnirman Manch, NAPM Bihar; Faisal Khan, Khudai Khidmatgar, & J S Walia, NAPM Haryana; Kailash Meena, NAPM Rajasthan; Amitava Mitra & Sujato Bhadra, NAPM West Bengal; B S Rawat – Jan Sangharsh Vahini & Rajendra Ravi, Madhuresh Kumar and Shabnam Shaikh – NAPM, Delhi.